cleared half acre, now what?

[GoinCountry]

I had someone come in yesterday and used a mulcher on half acre. There are small stumps left, albeit chewed up, but stumbling blocks nonetheless. There was virginia creeper, poison sumac, poison ivy, trees on it. It's now cleared. I have limited funds. At the most $10k to spend. There is no barn, no shed, carport, zilch on the property here. I need help in figuring out what to do with this huge space. I'll post photos but it has to be from my phone, so I'll come back and do that.

Now that I've done this, the neighbor's house can be clearly seen. Because of the poison stuff, I'm gonna have to use roundup on areas. This grieves me deeply.
There is an area that gets full sun, could be a garden, also had poison ivy in that area. it was not dug up by the roots. none of it was. except some trees.

I have no animals, no barn, no corral, no fencing.
I don't want a big grassy area. Rocks work, but weeds come up thru. weed fabric then rocks?

I wanted to grow wheat. I realize it's too late to plant now. But what about planter boxes? weed fabric and boxes on top?
I found my seeds. [just moved a month ago]

 

[RoyalChick]

I had someone come in yesterday and used a mulcher on half acre. There are small stumps left, albeit chewed up, but stumbling blocks nonetheless. There was virginia creeper, poison sumac, poison ivy, trees on it. It's now cleared. I have limited funds. At the most $10k to spend. There is no barn, no shed, carport, zilch on the property here. I need help in figuring out what to do with this huge space. I'll post photos but it has to be from my phone, so I'll come back and do that.

Now that I've done this, the neighbor's house can be clearly seen. Because of the poison stuff, I'm gonna have to use roundup on areas. This grieves me deeply.
There is an area that gets full sun, could be a garden, also had poison ivy in that area. it was not dug up by the roots. none of it was. except some trees.

I have no animals, no barn, no corral, no fencing.
I don't want a big grassy area. Rocks work, but weeds come up thru. weed fabric then rocks?

I wanted to grow wheat. I realize it's too late to plant now. But what about planter boxes? weed fabric and boxes on top?
I found my seeds. [just moved a month ago]

Wow. Lots of possibilities!
Where are you located (climate matters).
To one very specific question, goats eat poison ivy and I think sumac - so you could see if anyone in the area will rent you a herd for a few days (portable electric fence) and you can skip the round up.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Gardening and Round Up just do not occur in the same sentence for me but that's just me. I would rent a tiller and bring up the roots you are worried about. I'd maybe even get or borrow a goat to eat them. Then I'd go to town with gardening in the sun spot, put up a deer fence, make rows, amend the soil. How about the water sitch? I just got way ahead of myself because if you don't have any, then maybe the cost of a tank ? For the shade spots I'd plant shrubs and shade loving things like ferns. Beneficial shrubs for butterflies and pollinators. A bench here and there. You could certainly start to turn into a more park like setting with pathways using wood chips instead of a meadow since that's not what you want. I don't know, check out Pinterest for inspiring images and ideas.....

 

[saysfaa]

Wow. Lots of possibilities!
Where are you located (climate matters).
...

^^This.

Also, what equipment do you have?
And how much time can you give it?

I'm working on something similar. If your climate isn't too different, some of my successes and mistakes may help you.

 

[Dreammaker]

I happened to stumble across this and though I'm not much of a gardener (yet), I would be thrilled to have an opportunity like this. If it were me, I'd divide the area into two approx. 1/4 acre sections:

First Section- A small orchard of several fruit trees. The trees could eventually hide the view of the neighbors.

Second Section- A series of raised beds for various crops and flowers (maybe even a couple of cold frames, depending on your climate, if you want to extend the growing season). I'd not only surround each raised bed with some sort of netting/fencing, but I'd surround the whole section with some sort of fencing as well. This would deter critters from eating crops, including... Chickens! I'd add a chicken coop somewhere in "garden section" and since it'd be fenced in, I'd use it as their run (you could have an additional run attached to their coop if you wanted). They'd be able to forage around without totally destroying your crops and likely eat any weeds that come up in the little pathways between the raised beds, basically turning them into dirt paths. They'd also add valuable manure for your gardens, and you'd get to enjoy their eggs (or sell them). And if you're really ambitious, add a couple bee hives!

Anyway, this is me getting carried away... Full sun and open land is a treasure! Enjoy whatever you do with it and keep us posted.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Is there a home and the rest of it is bare?

 

[GoinCountry]

Wow. Lots of possibilities!
Where are you located (climate matters).
To one very specific question, goats eat poison ivy and I think sumac - so you could see if anyone in the area will rent you a herd for a few days (portable electric fence) and you can skip the round up.

Piedmont area of Virginia. Around Orange, Culpeper, Locust Grove. Yesterday we got 5 inches of rain. AFTER the clearing. Neighbor has goats. I lost this reply. do goats eat down to the roots?

Wow. Lots of possibilities!
Where are you located (climate matters).
To one very specific question, goats eat poison ivy and I think sumac - so you could see if anyone in the area will rent you a herd for a few days (portable electric fence) and you can skip the round up.

 

[GoinCountry]

^^This.

Also, what equipment do you have?
And how much time can you give it?

I'm working on something similar. If your climate isn't too different, some of my successes and mistakes may help you.

I AM sorry if I'm not supposed to reply like this. Maybe I should reply at the bottom?? I have me and my roommate. Male. Post hole digger, shovels, rakes. it cost me $1800 to get that cleared with a bush hog and digger. for the trees of heaven.
I am unpacking still. I have a small business to run, the house to clean, the unpacking to do and I'm pretty much overwhelmed most of the time.

 

[GoinCountry]

Ok, I'm gonna reply here. I can't find my replies.
There is NO machinery equipment. Me and my roommate. Male.
Neighbor has goats, will she lend some too me? I dunno. I have NO EXPERIENCE with ANY animal other than some with a dog.
I have MAYBE $10k to work with. That means NOTHING else will get done.
I am done planting orchard. Too much money and time. I bought woven fence with posts. $1000 for 2-330 foot rolls and 40 T posts.

Neighbor has goats. If they get out. I'm screwed.
Tilling doesn't get deep enough to get roots out, so my research says.

In Piedmont gardening area of Culpeper, Orange, Locust Grove VA.
Yesterday we got 5 inches of rain, AFTER the clearing of the land.

Yes a home and NO bare land. It's a forest. 3 acres of forest with .75 acre cut for septic field and house and now, about .75 acre? cleared.
Have researched and roundup is neutralized with .5 inch of water. So they say. Like I said, It's not my first choice, but my life is more important on whether or not I use roundup.

Can't do bees.
I have barn envy and tractor envy. But I need a hot tub more than I need a tractor. Need a barn or very large shed for everythign else.
I have a 10x10 enclosed canopy I bought thru costco. So far, it's withstood everything and all inside is dry.
May buy another.


Let me get some photos up.
I am an older fart and have limited energy and don't want to create more work for self or him. half acre of lawn to mow is too much already.

Have peach tree, 3 elderberry bushes, and 4 blueberry bushes so far.

Have found can't grow stuff in pots, the get root bound QUICKLY.

there are rabbits, deer [that ate the elderberry bushes], raccoons, possums and whatever they said that i've forgotten.

I have a small nonprofit business that I run and books I write. I'm stretched and need to figure out what to do with this area that won't cause me more stress or extraordinary work.

 

[MadGardener]

What an exciting opportunity, congrats! I moved to SW Virginia fall 2020. The original inhabitants had a garden, but the folks we bought from didn't do anything to it. It was 7 foot high weeds and saplings when we moved in.

DH pulled trees with his truck and tilled it. I laid cardboard overlapping the whole plot. Then covered it in hay. Some weeds were still sprouting from the root, but it wasn't so bad to stay on top of. Even fewer this year. (Virginia creeper, Greenbriar, wormwood come back from just tiny bits of root. I hate them.)

Even if you get a slower start than you want, observe the land. How does the sun move throughout the year? Where does water run and where does it pool? Where are underground lines for water, power, sewer/septic? Planning well now saves tons of effort. Plants do much better if you select their site to suit their needs. Learn the land.